What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Dipropylene Glycol
HumectantSodium Cocoamphoacetate
CleansingChondrus Crispus
Masking
Potassium Cocoyl Glycinate
Sodium Lauroyl Sarcosinate
CleansingPotassium Cocoate
Emulsifying
Decyl Glucoside
Cleansing
Sodium Polyacrylate
Absorbent
Propanediol
Solvent
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingTrehalose
Humectant
Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate
Humectant
Sodium Lauroyl Glutamate
Acacia Senegal Gum
MaskingDecylene Glycol
Skin ConditioningGlyceryl Caprylate
EmollientSerenoa Serrulata Fruit Extract
Skin Conditioning
Cinnamomum Cassia Bark Extract
Masking
Hydrated Silica
Abrasive
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Betaine
Humectant
Sapindus Mukorossi Peel Extract
Skin ConditioningPanthenol
Skin Conditioning
Sodium PCA
Humectant
Chondrus Crispus Extract
Skin Conditioning
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Escin
TonicSorbitol
Humectant
Threonine
Arginine
Masking
Lysine
Skin ConditioningAlanine
Masking
Glutamic Acid
Humectant
Glycine
Buffering
Serine
Masking
Proline
Skin Conditioning
Ruscus Aculeatus Root Extract
Astringent
Ammonium Glycyrrhizate
MaskingPhenoxyethanol
Preservative
Centella Asiatica Leaf Extract
Skin Conditioning
Hydrolyzed Yeast Protein
Skin ConditioningCalendula Officinalis Flower Extract
Masking
Hydroxyacetophenone
Antioxidant
Gluconolactone
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Citrate
BufferingSodium Benzoate
Masking
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Water, Glycerin, Dipropylene Glycol, Sodium Cocoamphoacetate, Chondrus Crispus, Potassium Cocoyl Glycinate, Sodium Lauroyl Sarcosinate, Potassium Cocoate, Decyl Glucoside, Sodium Polyacrylate, Propanediol, Xanthan Gum, Trehalose, Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate, Sodium Lauroyl Glutamate, Acacia Senegal Gum, Decylene Glycol, Glyceryl Caprylate, Serenoa Serrulata Fruit Extract, Cinnamomum Cassia Bark Extract, Hydrated Silica, Butylene Glycol, Betaine, Sapindus Mukorossi Peel Extract, Panthenol, Sodium PCA, Chondrus Crispus Extract, 1,2-Hexanediol, Escin, Sorbitol, Threonine, Arginine, Lysine, Alanine, Glutamic Acid, Glycine, Serine, Proline, Ruscus Aculeatus Root Extract, Ammonium Glycyrrhizate, Phenoxyethanol, Centella Asiatica Leaf Extract, Hydrolyzed Yeast Protein, Calendula Officinalis Flower Extract, Hydroxyacetophenone, Gluconolactone, Sodium Citrate, Sodium Benzoate, Sodium Hyaluronate
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Potassium Cocoyl Glycinate
Disodium Lauryl Sulfosuccinate
CleansingPolyglyceryl-10 Laurate
Skin Conditioning
Citric Acid
Buffering
Coco-Glucoside
Cleansing
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Maltooligosyl Glucoside
Skin ConditioningHydrogenated Starch Hydrolysate
HumectantPentane
SolventLactobionic Acid
Buffering
Kaolin
Abrasive
Serine
Masking
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Ascorbyl Glucoside
Antioxidant
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Sodium Citrate
BufferingPolyquaternium-51
Skin Conditioning
Hydrolyzed Royal Jelly Protein
Skin ConditioningWater, Glycerin, Potassium Cocoyl Glycinate, Disodium Lauryl Sulfosuccinate, Polyglyceryl-10 Laurate, Citric Acid, Coco-Glucoside, 1,2-Hexanediol, Maltooligosyl Glucoside, Hydrogenated Starch Hydrolysate, Pentane, Lactobionic Acid, Kaolin, Serine, Butylene Glycol, Sodium Hyaluronate, Ascorbyl Glucoside, Tocopherol, Sodium Citrate, Polyquaternium-51, Hydrolyzed Royal Jelly Protein
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
1,2-Hexanediol is a synthetic liquid and another multi-functional powerhouse.
It is a:
- Humectant, drawing moisture into the skin
- Emollient, helping to soften skin
- Solvent, dispersing and stabilizing formulas
- Preservative booster, enhancing the antimicrobial activity of other preservatives
Butylene Glycol (or BG) is used within cosmetic products for a few different reasons:
Overall, Butylene Glycol is a safe and well-rounded ingredient that works well with other ingredients.
Though this ingredient works well with most skin types, some people with sensitive skin may experience a reaction such as allergic rashes, closed comedones, or itchiness.
Learn more about Butylene GlycolGlycerin (or glycerol) is a compound naturally found in your skin. It's a powerhouse humectant that pulls water into the stratum corneum.
Topically, glycerin does several things at once:
Your skin makes glycerin on its own (mostly from sebaceous oil breakdown) and shuttles it to your outermost layer of skin, or your epidermis, via aquaporin-3.
Aquaporin-3 is a transporter that is essential for normal skin hydration, elasticity, and repair. Interestingly, mice lacking in AQP3 have dry and less elastic skin that can be fully corrected with glycerin.
This ingredient is non-irritating, plays well with almost every ingredient, and works across all skin types. Typical use is anywhere between 3-10% but can go up to 79% in some leave-on products.
Just know very high concentrations (>40%) can feel tacky in low humidity.
Glycerin is the name for this ingredient in American English. British English uses Glycerol/Glycerine.
Learn more about GlycerinPotassium Cocoyl Glycinate is an amino acid-based surfactant and cleaning agent. This ingredient can be derived from animals or plants. It may also be synthetically created from fatty acids of the coconut and glycine.
Potassium Cocoyl Glycinate is a gentle surfactant. Surfactants help gather the dirt, oil, and other pollutants from your skin to be rinsed away. It is a mild cleanser and naturally produces foam.
Serine is a non-essential amino acid (your body makes it on its own!). It is a major player in your skin's natural moisturizing factor (NMF), or the water-loving molecules in your outermost layer of skin (stratum corneum) that keeps everything hydrated and happy.
Serine is one of your NMF's most abundant components that works as a skin-identical humectant. Its hydroxyl group grabs onto water molecules to boost hydration without any heaviness or occlusion.
Research on a hydrogel with serine confirmed this serine got delivered to your stratum corneum and demonstrated enhanced skin moisturization.
Interestingly serine also helps your skin produce filaggrin, a protein that keeps your skin barrier strong and used to create collagen.
Learn more about SerineSodium Citrate is the sodium salts of citric acid. In skincare, it is used to alter pH levels and acts as a preservative.
Its main functions are to maintain the pH of a product and neutralize metal ions.
The acidity of our skin is maintained by our glands and skin biome; normal pH level of skin is slightly acidic (~4.75-5.5).
Being slightly acidic allows our skin to create an "acid mantle". This acid mantle is a thin barrier that protects our skin from bacteria and contaminants.
Learn more about Sodium CitrateSodium Hyaluronate is the salt form of hyaluronic acid. It is a long sugar chain that is naturally found in your skin, joints, and connective tissue that maintains hydration and elasticity.
In skincare, it works as a humectant. It pulls water from the environment and deeper layers of skin and binds it to the surface.
Interestingly, the size of the molecule affects its behavior:
Some clinical evidence links low molecular weight versions to improved wrinkle depth, elasticity, anti-inflammatory effects, and barrier repair.
Many serums use a blend of both weights so you can get surface hydration plus longer-lasting and deeper effects.
You'll typically see concentrations between 0.1-2% for this ingredient.
Learn more about Sodium HyaluronateWater. It's the most common cosmetic ingredient of all. You'll usually see it at the top of ingredient lists, meaning that it makes up the largest part of the product.
So why is it so popular? Water most often acts as a solvent - this means that it helps dissolve other ingredients into the formulation.
You'll also recognize water as that liquid we all need to stay alive. If you see this, drink a glass of water. Remember to stay hydrated!
Learn more about Water
